“The Forgotten Army is a mini series on Subhash Chandra Bose” Kabir Khan

Kabir Khan is into the post-production of Tubelight. His next project won’t be the film featuring Hrithik Roshan and Katrina Kaif which is being talked about in the media. “That is happening later. I’ve spoken to both of them. Katrina is like family. If I had my way she’d be in all my films. Hrithik Roshan too I’ve wanted to work with for some time. But this project is not happening now. Right now I am all set to do an 8-part mini-series for Amazon India. It’s called The Forgotten Army.”

Kabir says he had actually done a documentary by that name 18 years ago. “In 1999 I had made a documentary entitled The Forgotten Army about Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose’s Indian National Army. I wanted to convert that into a feature film. But when I got a chance to do something for Amazon India, I decided to change my original plans of doing a feature film on The Forgotten Army into an 8-part mini-series.”

Kabir feels the future of world cinema lies in internet streaming. “Amazon, Netflix…these are the future of cinema. We can’t turn a blind eye to the global reach of cinema through these mediums. The kind of resources these online industries offer to a filmmaker is unbelievable. I am being funded with more resources to make The Forgotten Army than for any film that I’ve made so far.”

Kabir feels the days of the theatre-going audiences are numbered. “Appointment viewing is gradually being rejected. You can’t tell today’s youngsters to watch their films at particular times. They want to see films at their convenience, even at 2 am in the morning if they want. Online films offer that privilege of being available at any time.”

The incentive to visit movie theatres is dying, says Kabir. “Unless it’s a Dangal or a Bajrangi Bhaijaan, audiences won’t invest 3 hours and 300 rupees in a film. For the same amount money they can subscribe to Amazon for the whole year. It’s a crazily transitional time for cinema. Either we embrace the change, or perish.”